Sage of Six Paths
by Yami Nocturna
Summary: The first shinobi was nor a monk, not a man and not even a ninja. At the dawn of the Fourth Shinobi War she returns and her name is Serenity. For she has always watched over their homestar. Of course no shinobi training prepared for that. Naruto/SM


_**05/01/11** – A belated new year's gift to you all. Naruto/Sailor Moon crossover. A one-shot.

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**The Sage of Six Paths**

_**Mercy. Forgiveness. Happiness. Love. Friendship. Hope.**_

one-shot

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As soon as the Fourth Great Shinobi War started, almost as soon it also ended. A bright light washed over the ninja continent and a terrible roar sounded. In front of the eyes of confused Gai Maito and Hatake Kakashi the corpses of Haku and Rin collapsed and became motionless just as they were supposed to be with content smiles upon their faces as soon as the light reached them. In front of Sai and Kankuro the bodies of his Sasori and Deidara also fell into oblivion, the souls going on into the other life. Hizashi Hyuuga, Sarutobi Asuma and Dan never made it to face their loved ones in their controlled state.

And then… there was silence… and a bright light descended from the skies in front of Gai Maito, Kakashi, Sakura and Sai, growing brighter until all shinobi covered their eyes and then it died out, and in the center of the clearing stood Naruto looking very confused and distraught by his sudden appearance. But the surprises didn't end yet.

"Hello, Naruto, shinobi from all lands," the voice sounded from somewhere above, and immediately all shinobi were battle-ready, reaching for their weapons, concentrating on the chakra. And there was nothing. The weapons were gone. They couldn't reach inside of them to form chakra attacks. They couldn't even bare to summon the will to fight. In front of the owner of the voice, who was floating above them, two indiscernible figures hanging in the air behind her surrounded by a chakra bubble the color of hyacinths, and one traitor to Konoha limply lying in her arms.

In front of her omnipresent silver gaze they could feel only peace. The ultimate peace which was never encountered by all present ever before. Because they were shinobi, they lived in constant battle. But this time, they couldn't find a will to battle.

"Let go of Sasuke!" shouted Naruto, as soon as he took note of the strange newcomer. She was a woman, no a girl, but actually it was rather elusive: her eyes spoke of eons of wisdom, while she looked no older than Naruto or Sakura… or Sasuke, Hatake winced at Naruto's outburst, he always looked out for Sasuke too much, much more than the Uchiha deserved.

The woman floated down and Naruto growled at her. It seemed as if he was the only one able to show some hostile intentions. Hatake was actually rather surprised at the cool manner in which Sakura took the appearance of the woman-girl with Sasuke in her hands.

"Calm down, Naruto, I am not here to harm him, have I been here to do that, he would be in the same condition as those two," the woman-girl, clad in a bizarre white outfit waved towards the spheres behind her. Her eyes glowed in sync with the symbol of an eight-pointed star on her forehead, and the spheres which hid the identity of the captives became more opaque and to the gazes of the Shinobi Alliance became visible the one against whom they went to war. Madara Uchiha. The other one, was Kabuto, who undoubtedly was becoming more and more like Orochimaru.

So there they were. With minimal losses, minimal casualties, with the one for whom Team 7 ran till the ends of the Earth, with the evil mastermind who was behind most tragedies of this era, with a shinobi who would undoubtedly follow Orochimaru's steps – the three shinobi were out of it, incapacitated and defeated, by a mere woman, who was no shinobi: she wore high-heels, her outfit was a white dress with rainbow ornaments, and the dress was very short, her hair was way too long, and done in two buns which wielded no battle-comfort for the wearer, and her long cloak undoubtedly more suited for a royalty couldn't be a battle-garb.

And of course, the peace. The serenity they all felt as soon as she arrived. She was no shinobi. Yet she won the war.

Immediately as soon as the identities of the captives were revealed there was unrest in the crowd. And quit soon Tsunade the Hokage, Gaara the Kazekage, Mei Terumi the Mizukage, A Yotsuki the Raikage and Onoki the Tsuchikage appeared in a cloud of smoke behind Naruto, after being probably informed by some shinobi of the turn of events. And as Hatake dimly noted in the instilled sense of serenity, the moment they arrived they were battle-ready, but the second their eyes settled on the woman-girl, they too fell into this peace. And yes, Hatake understood that this could be a genjutsu, but he couldn't see any chakra manipulation with his Sharingan, it was just there. As if this woman-girl was the personification of peace and serenity at its maximum.

The woman-girl put Sasuke down in front of Naruto, who immediately rushed towards his friend, and as soon as the blond noticed the bandages on Sasuke's eyes, he glared at the stranger.

"What have you done to him? Did you steal his eyes?" his blue eyes burned with rage.

"I have no need for them. Madara did it to him. He implanted Itachi's eyes to Sasuke. The Eternal Mangekyo, a cure for the blindness of the Uchiha clan," she spoke, her face showing no emotions and yet somehow it seemed as if she was mercy in the highest form. "He will get better, if you choose for him to live."

Naruto's gaze widened and the next thought which no doubt passed through the minds of all shinobi, she had to be a benevolent deity. But that was silly, right?

"Who are you?" finally asked Gaara, being the first of the kages to break out of the woman's sense of Serenity which most others seemed to enjoy and cherish yet, as if trying to remember it for the remainder of their lives, knowing that it would be gone the moment she disappeared the same way she arrived.

"I am known by many names, Serenity being one of them," and this time Hatake let out a low chuckle, and small giggle from Sakura, who seemed to watch the woman with some sort of reverence, the small smiles on all the shinobi around, those who were just arriving, that all only made it even more ironic. Everyone could see: here in the midst of war and destruction the very personification of peace came to end their battle by defeating their enemies.

"You are currently the fourth humanity which I observe on this planet, my most beloved planet, with the oceans so blue and beautiful, the wind so free and carefree."

Her words were as a lullaby, a genjutsu, as myriads of visions passed through their eyes. An era of one kingdom upon the earth. An era of dwarves, giants, elves and humans. An era of great cities and millions of people. And their era. And each time the humanity outlives, out battled themselves, drove themselves to extinction, destroyed the world, and each time a new age arose. Millions of year flashed in front of their eyes. Some looked at her with reverence, some looked with fear, some looked at her with worship.

Yet only Naruto gazed at her confused by all these images.

"So you are really an old hag like Tsunade?" Sakura cursed quietly at Naruto, really having a great urge to go over to him and smack the insolent brat, but the lady, no longer could she be called a woman or a girl, just laughed.

"I assure you, this is the age of my body, it is no illusion. I am eternal," and her soft smile lit up the clearing. And all shinobi felt and heard a soft, rhythmic, calm heartbeat and felt a pulse of energy, pure and healing, washing over them in rhythm with the heartbeat. And it all emanated from one lady. The same silver-haired elusive deity, who descended from the skies.

"But, you have never helped the other people living before us, then why now? You let them battle each other, destroy each other, why help us?" asked Gaara suddenly.

"Because never before have I seen this much meddling with the realm of the dead, with magic that should have been forgotten after that first era, never before has a mortal man willingly sought out a fragment of my eternal enemy, never before have mortals sealed large fragments of my eternal enemy into children," her gaze suddenly became sympathetic as it shifted from Gaara to Naruto, and both looked down sullenly.

"Immortal enemy? Fragments? I don't understand," spoke Tsunade.

"The ultimate evil. The one who was born without a star. War. Death. Pain. Sadness. Destruction. Those words are not even beginning to describe the truth of his beings. The one who will forever seek me out at the end of each humanity, Chaos."

And the way she spoke that word, chaos, though it should have meant nothing, it reverberated through the present shinobi, in a wave of cold. And for a second Naruto felt the Kyuubi inside of him growl in fear and in fury at the woman in front of him.

"He can never be defeated and no matter how many times I scatter his pieces, he will always gather together again. Last time I could divide him into great ten parts. The body, which I sealed away on the moon, and the nine beats…"

And here, it was Tsunade who suddenly interrupted her, as she stared in shock at the woman's silver eyes.

"But that would mean, that you are the Sage of the Six Paths, the one who founded the arts of ninjutsu and started our world. And that you sealed the Ten-tailed beast within you!"

A silvery laugh came from the lady and she shook her head, "While you are correct in the fact that I had been written down in history as the Sage of Six Paths, a priest and a man, at that fact, I didn't seal the chaos within me, I sealed it within the moon at first. It has been frequent within your race's history to confuse the Moon and me. Later I realized that even with my constant watch over the prison of Chaos, it could still break free any moment, and ruin all my effort at saving the remnants of humanity."

She paused letting everyone digest the information. And for once no one started arguing, no one started disproving her words, but maybe it was because her presence was so suffocating in its peace and lack of ill will.

"The founders of Uchiha and Senju clan were your sons?" asked Kakashi, for the first time since her arrival speaking. And then for some reason he regretted speaking those words. Something akin to immeasurable grief passed through the eyes of the lady. Why did he even feel sympathy for her so much, what was it that she spread that made everyone around her feel at ease, close to her, as if she was their best friend, mother, lover, daughter?

"No, but I did lend a helping hand in their creation, or so to say in the manifestation of their powers. You have to understand something, the Last Great War, the true war, took place at the dawn of the Shinobi Era. This time Chaos didn't leave the Earth no matter how much I taunted him and baited, he knew that I loved this planet too much and hoped to see it flourish till the end of times. He let the battle rage here. With great difficulty I saved the remnants of the humanity. Most of them were still children. Haven't you ever wondered why do you all speak the same language? Haven't you ever wondered: while your dwelling places range from deserts to ice tundras, from wastelands to forests, though your clothes differ from each other, though your food is different due to different possibilities in all countries: yet why do you speak the same language, why do you honor the same gods, why do you even have similar manners during meals, weddings, why do you have similar honorifics? By all means, the food has become different, the clothing started to change, yet details all added up."

She drew in a breath, and smiled softly as if remembering something sweet.

"That time only the children mostly survived, those who were small enough to hide from the horrors Chaos unleashed, there were plenty of them, thousands, but they were still children. They wouldn't survive, but if they would, they would be no more than animals, who couldn't speak, who would have to go through thousands of years to get back up and stand as humans again. A long time ago, before the era of one kingdom which you saw, I also lived on Earth. I had friends, family, I was not yet who I am today. I was just a regular girl," she smiled fondly at Naruto, who was listening to her story wide-mouthed (the older shinobi had just too much dignity to do that, though the temptation came very often).

Serenity knelt down in front of Naruto, fondly ruffling his hair, earning a blush from the boy and a very much confused stare, as if he was battling with his mind, whether to like it or not. "I had blonde hair just like yours, and eyes the same color as yours. The sun and the sky combined. And then destiny rained down on me, apparently I was meant to protect the humanity from demons," at his flinch, she ruffled his hair once more, and stood up, "Selene forbid, you are not a demon, our demons though the demon of the day were nothing in comparison even to Shukaku, they lived on humans. The fed on their energy, dreams, hearts and even souls. It was all so very difficult," she laughed suddenly, it was a bit melancholic, "but I've made it through. I even made it through ruling that first era you saw," once more her eyes rose to everyone around.

"That time went by, and the humanity went back to the era without any magic, energy manipulating and they lived normal, I only overlooked their progress sometimes helping just a bit, but I could no longer live amongst them. Yet the language you speak is a language I have never forgotten. You have no name for it. I had. Japanese. In that small country of Earth I spent the first fourteen years of simple, happy, careless childhood. You see, I knew I had to interfere with your ancestors and teach them whatever I could. I had knowledge of other cultures and tried to teach them those, wanting them to honor their fallen countries, families. But you know… little children always lookup to their parent teacher and imitate them. Thus they only desired to speak my language, desired to follow my old traditions, desired to dress like the people in my photo album."

And strangely, despite the out of common sense explanation, something that reached far into unbelievable it all made sense. It all added up.

"Eventually they grew up, married, begat families. And I left them only sometimes once a year-hundred coming down to teach them more, if they were ready. And then… happened that which became known to you as the start of the Ninja Era, Chaos broke for a few hour out from his confines and came to Earth during another celebration. The children whom I brought up had long since died, for they would have recognized the feel of Chaos. Their descendants knew the form of Chaos, but knew not that it changed each time. This time it was in the body of a Ten-Tailed Beast. It was still recovering and I separated it. Ten parts. One part was it's body. I sealed it deep on the moon. The other nine-parts were its spirit. I molded the spirits and made them animals."

"Why?" suddenly grit out Naruto. Startled Serenity looked down. "Why didn't you just kill him? Why did you create them?" his eyes were narrowed and if one looked closer, tears were beginning to form, "Why did father and mother have to die? Why did I have to be… **this?**" For a second Serenity emotionlessly gazed at him and then she spoke:

"For without darkness there can be no light. And both are always drawn towards each other. The day one will ultimately destroy the other the world will come to an end. No more people will be born. No more stars will be born. Before I banished Chaos into the hearts of everyone. To let there be happiness and pain. To experience everything which one should. But it always won. And that is because anyone can draw Chaos to them, but not everyone needs it. Though you are harboring the greatest and most powerful piece of Chaos, its heart, you of everyone are the most pure-hearted, the brightest, the strongest. That is what I decided this time. To free the humanity for the first time of Chaos infestation. So that everyone would be born free."

Naruto seemed to be contemplating her words, and finally from the monuments of people, were no one barely moved, Sakura came forward, sitting down beside Naruto and smiling gently at him. Serenity looked back at Kabuto and Madara and then spoke once more: "Of course, some just don't appreciate the gift of life and listen to the never ending song of Chaos which will forever be heard by those weak in will and heart to achieve their dreams without otherworldly influence," the words were spoken bitterly and with much disgust.

After Sakura's show of bravery, in front of this deity, show of action which even outshined the activities of Kages since their arrival (who were simply either gaping or worshipping the woman with their gazes) Kakashi also decided to join his old team. He was their teacher. He had to be there. Even if there were some strays. His gaze bitterly fell upon Sasuke.

As he joined his students he finally asked: "But why ninjutsu, why did you teach us battle, you are not a shinobi, you are… Serenity." Inwardly Kakashi cursed his lack of eloquence, and slightly even wondering why he didn't appreciate the lady's outfit. It **was **rather revealing.

"Because this time, I wanted to give you the methods, the weapons, the power to battle Chaos. From the very beginning I knew there were souls powerful enough to battle the nine pieces of Chaos. The previous times the humanity met its end because they were never prepared for the song of chaos. This time, after separating Chaos, I decided that you had to know how to battle Chaos. Chaos, just like the nine-tailed beasts was never a physical manifestation when it devastated Earth. Strictly spiritual and energy based being. That is why you have chakra – the mix of your physical energy and your spiritual energy. The only means to battle Chaos when it manifests. So that when the tailed beasts would dare to try to disturb you, you would strike them back, you would defeat them with your own power, you wouldn't wait till some deity came down and solved your problems like the ones before you."

"So why now?"

Again a disgusted glance at Madara Uchiha.

"The Uchiha eyes, though different from mine, have the power to control the tailed-beasts. The Senju clan, have the bodies with the power to subdue the beasts. Those were fragments of my power which I bestowed upon the first two, so that **united **they could defeat and subdue the beasts, without too much blood. But eventually, he, who never had the Rinnegan, who never could understand the truth of the past, began desire much more power. The Senju clan led Konoha, because they could subdue without violence. The Uchiha clan protected Konoha, because they could control and see that which is not meant to be seen. The Byakugan, the eyes of Hyuuga, was born from Sharingan, so different, because eventually the Uchiha clan began to forget their true purpose."

"But we have been told the Sharingan came from Byakugan," spoke suddenly Sakura.

"Actually the other way around. And actually just because it became a tendency to forget the true meaning of Senju/Uchiha union, even before Konoha's time, the battle broke out. The Byakugan was born because no longer the Sharingan was used to protect the humanity, defeat the demons. Only during Madara's leadership peace finally came: and still it was the other Uchihas who listened to Senju and reconciled. Even subconsciously, the Senju, who remembered that they had to subdue the beasts, chose the right balance of power. I think the culmination of Madara's romance with Chaos was in the Valley of the End. That is when he forsook his heritage. That is when he left. With his limited knowledge he read ancient legends about me and Chaos. He thought I was dead. The Rinnegan, was in actuality a second security in case Uchiha and Senju failed. Nagato was the one chosen to be granted by the energy that power. Yet Madara got to him. Madara found out many things about ancient magic, which was supposed to be available only to that with the Rinnegan, because the Rinnegan was supposed to be granted to the one who wished for no more war and pain, that person should have used the powers and techniques not shared with the others for the greater good. But I didn't count that Madara would find him. Didn't count of the fact that he could manipulate him. Because I didn't know that an eleventh piece of Chaos existed."

An angry glance was cast to Madara.

This time nobody spoke.

"Though it is by no means comparable even to Shukaku, but that piece was so to say, the mind of Chaos."

"You have never before saved the other people before us, even if they had pieces of this Chaos inside of them? So why are we special?"

The anger dissolved and Serenity smiled, "Because even if there are much more of you, I still see pieces of those children inside you. I see Meizuki's smile," she spoke to Tsunade, "I see Daisuke's eyes," she spoke to Mei, "that is why you are special. You are always special. But it is not because you are special, why I interfered," she paused and her smiling face settled into a calm, emotionless, unmerciful mask, "This man, had willingly despite reading the warning that only a user of the Rinnegan may summon a bit of Chaos to them, for learning purposes, he had continuously summoned bit by bit the tenth part of Chaos, which was in the moon. He had purposefully called out to the dark one, knowing the consequences. The tailed-beasts, though they have this possibility, can infect a human, without being sealed. Any of those could have come to him. But he had not only drawn the Chaos, not only had he used the forbidden magic, not only had he taken the eyes of his brother, knowing fully that it was something to be done only when both were almost blind, where one had to give up them willingly and for a damn good reason."

The curse word was so sudden, and foreign, and her flushed face was so out of tune with her previous behavior patterns, that chokes, coughs resonated through the meadow.

"To say it quickly, he has stepped into my domain. Allowing me to act without repercussions on your civilization."

It was Naruto who nodded. Apparently, during her long monologue he managed to catch the general drift, and eventually the accusations that were in his mind vanished.

"And Kabuto?" he asked.

And Serenity giggled sheepishly. The gesture was so out of place on her, as she scratched the bck of her head, in such a typical Naruto manner that Sakura broke out in giggles.

"Well, actually I'm not supposed to take him yet, though he would end up in limbo, due to dabbling with Death's domain, but since I am in the process of taking out Madara, I decided I relieve you of him too. It is a higher sin to resurrect a person by the cost of another person's life, and control the undead body with the soul intact."

"This all is a rather unbelievable, fantastic, ranging into utter nonsense story," finally spoke Tsunade, it seemed finally as if the effect of the aura of peace which Serenity excluded started to wear off, or maybe the people became more tolerant towards it.

"Well, then, Five Kages, I beg you, please attack me and I shall show you the source of all your powers."

There was a slight hesitation. But they did so. Hastily Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi, brought Sasuke away from Serenity and the Five Kages attacked. The Mizukage went first. And Kakashi was already analyzing everything with his Sharingan.

"Suiton: Mizurappa!" shouted the Mizukage, water gushing out of her mouth and charging towards Serenity. And yet coming close to her it slowed down and loving in thin streams wrapped around her.

"The water is my ancient friend," spoke Serenity, "For I know its master's ancient name," she held out her hand, "Mercury!" her voice echoed and a blue harp formed within her hand, "Shine Aqua Illusion," the water sent at her went through the harp as Serenity played it and straight at Mizukage, wrapping around her and freezing then. And as much as Kakashi tried to see any trace of chakra, there was none.

"Doton: Ganchuusou!" shouted the Tsuchikage not letting the lady rest, "Ah, but the Earth against me, not a wise choice," and even without doing anything, the earthen spikes which meant to erupt around her, didn't appear at all, only the ground beneath her glowed golden. And suddenly from Earth vines of roses sprouted up encircling the Tsuchikage.

Next the Raikage and Kazekage attacked together.

"Suna Shuriken!" "Raiton: Gian!"

The sand attack and the lightning attacked came in from two sides, and Serenity held out her hands. One glowed in deep navy, the other green.

"Despite your attack being sand based, it is still based on the wind, just like most of your people's specialties, for they learned from those who were most like Haruka," she spoke to Gaara, as the sand shuriken stopped at her hand, the sand falling down on the wind chakra swirling around, "and Makoto controlled all lightning," the lightning attack of the Raikage bounced into the open palm of hand, as if the electricity was happy to be back with its master.

"Uranus," called out Serenity, and no matter what, Kakashi almost was ready to curse, he saw no chakra, it was as if she was really just calling out the names and the elements were obeying her, "World Shaking!" the attack was sent towards Gaara, "Jupiter! Supreme Thunder!" the lightning which she caught grew in size and was sent back to Raikage.

"Though you seem to be able to use everything, that is still no proof," spoke Tsunade, as she leveled Serenity with her gaze, but everyone could see the small smile, five kages attacked, not really holding much of their power back even in the simple techniques, because if she subdued Madara, she was not a joke, "Katon: Ryuka no Jutsu!" the large dragon erupted from her mouth and charged towards Serenity who sadly smiled.

"And Rei-chan, was my very best friend," the dragon halway became a phoenix and lovingly circled Serenity, as she held out her hand and the large fire creature shrunk into a fireball.

"Mars!" spoke Serenity, "Flame Sniper!" and in her hand a bow formed the arrow coursing towards Tsunade, yet flying past her, singing a bit of hair. Tsunade seemed unphased. She turned to Kakashi.

"Well, what can you say?"

"She doesn't use chakra." He glanced towards Naruto who was sitting in his Sage mode, having went there a few moments ago, during Gaara's and Raikage's attacks.

"You are right, Kakashi-sensei," spoke out Naruto, "the nature just answers her."

"Well… this is all disturbing…" spoke the Raikage, murmurs going through the crowds of shinobi. By now everyone was here. Everyone knew who she was, and those who hadn't heard her story, were being told that by those who heard it.

"Ah, well, this chit-chat was nice, I've been thinking for years to come down and make it clear that I was no man and to eat something delicious, like ramen!" Somewhere behind Sakura and Kakashi fell over in disbelief, while others who knew Naruto stared slack-jawed at their Sage of the Six Paths, while the blonde jinchuuriki, cheered and excitedly started speaking of Ichiraku Ramen bar, which she **had **to visit, as Serenity happily nodded to Naruto every now and then.

"Wait Naruto!" suddenly spoke Serenity. Naruto blinked in confusion.

"Do you want Sasuke to live or not?" she asked.

"Of course I do!" he spoke loudly, as if insulted by her question.

"Do you realize he had been next to a tool of Chaos for very long? Do you realize he harbors hate towards Konoha because Danzo and the elders sentenced his whole family? Do you realize his brother was a martyr? Do you realize that while I shall not kill him, if he lives and becomes the next Madara who shall start collecting the beasts that it will be your responsibility?"

Her words caused turmoil in the shinobi, as Kakashi glanced at Tsunade, who was looking just as disturbed as most who battled Itachi, who knew the Uchiha clan before the massacre.

"I…" Naruto stuttered.

"Please understand. I interfered this time. At this moment his future is grim. Next time if he follows that path and becomes the next Madara, if you don't save Sasuke's soul, I will kill him. Because of necessity. And we would have to pray that it would early enough. Early enough so that I can still send him to be reborn, not like with Madara, who's starseed is so tainted I can only destroy it."

"Why does he have to choose? Why not Sakura? Why not Kakashi? Why not me, as his Hokage?" shouted out Tsunade as Naruto looked down, different emotion conflicting within his eyes.

Serenity turned to her and for a second regarded the blonde woman who cared too much for Naruto, "Because he is the one who cares the most for Sasuke. Because Sasuke is the last of the Uchiha line. Because Yamato, though being a clone is the last of the Senju. Because there is still place for hope."

And it was after her words that Naruto looked up and spoke, "I want him to live. I will help him. I will heal him… but…" he looked uncertain, "Don't worry, I'll help, Sakura will help, Kakashi will help, everyone deserves a second chance when they still have a soul," interrupted Serenity. Suddenly her gaze shifted down to Sasuke's prone body. And then she huffed angrily.

"You! I can't believe you! Your friends worry about you for three years. Your brother sacrifices his name for the sake of peace and your beautiful future, so that you wouldn't be in league with Madara, Naruto gets almost eaten by a snake for you! I heal your eyes in advance and you!" she stomped over angrily hauling the black-haired boy up, channeling pretty much Sakura at the moment, with one hand holding him by his shirt, the other ripping off the bandages, she revealed black eyes haughtily, emotionlessly staring at her.

"And you! You run away to a snake! You let your friends worry themselves sick! You run to Madara despite Itachi implanting even **protection **against him, and fail to think **why **Itachi, who loved you, your mother, your father would even do that! Maybe because the coup d'etat wasn't as simple as Madara described it! And even after I have the grace to heal your eyes, bring you to your friends who are loyal to you even now, during my fabulous story, you lie and there and play dead!" during her angry tirade she was shaking Sasuke around, well trying to shake him, which looked rather hilarious, since four inches shorter than the boy.

Everyone expected anything. A chidori into the chest, a kick into the face, anything from the Uchiha, but not…

"You're annoying," he spoke.

"Argh! Sasuke-chan! You're aggravating!" shouted Serenity, throwing Sasuke like a ragdoll at Kakashi, "Naruto-chan is way cooler!" the silver-haired lady, no, now she was a girl, threw a raspberry, turned around, grabbed there two spheres where Kabuto and Madara still lay pretty much out of it.

"Naruto-chan! Beat some sense into him!" she bit out to the blonde, who was blushing from her sudden use of endearment, "Sakura-chan! A good punch to the head will never be unnecessary for that jerk!" Serenity growled at Sakura, who hesitantly nodded, "Sasuke-chan! I **will **be back! For you and Yamato. I'll beat some sense into you after I drop these off in hell! You are my chosen warriors and I **will **make sure you live up to your name."

She flicked her hand and the spheres rose up in the air behind her, a swirling portal appearing in front of her.

She paused for a second before leaving, "And Naruto-chan…" her voice was low and promising pain. The few smarted ninjas scooted away from her.

"Yes, Serenity-chan!" exclaimed Naruto, his cheeks still a bit red.

Crack!

A lightning struck down on him. Leaving him sizzling and covered in soot.

"If you ever use Oiroke no Jutsu again, I will personally send you to the moon to study ancient lawbooks," spoke Serenity ominously. A wave to Sakura. A wink to Sasuke, with another promise of pain for another move out of line. A promise to Naruto to teach some cool jutsu to him. Another taunt to Sasuke, that if he behaved he could learn from the source of ninjutsu. A glare to Kakashi, for the lewd books he read, but no one understood her glare. A bow to the Kages. A bear hug to Gaara, about whom she said he looked just too much like a panda or a raccoon. And Serenity was gone.

Along with Madara, Kabuto, the Fourth War leaving behind shinobi who would be still in shock for the next half-year. The poor shinobi didn't know that their great teacher would return…

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It was another of their therapy sessions. Once more they were having the argument about hate. Half a year passed since his embarrassing return to Konoha. Disgraceful even. The Konoha elders who had been responsible were removed from Konoha and held in the prison on the moon. Right where he was. So many times he wanted to extract his revenge. But so many times Serenity stopped him.

"I have the right to hate Konoha, they wiped out my family! My mother. My father! My brother became a traitor for them and their fake peace!" She told him he could meet them when he would let go of the hate and face them free of his sorrow.

"Sasuke, then let me show you something." The symbol of her forehead glowed maroon, she was once more summoning Pluto's powers and suddenly apparitions of people appeared around them. And into the room, where a woman very reminiscent of Serenity stood, skipped in a girl, blonde hair, blue eyes, a copy of Naruto's Oiroke no Jutsu.

"What is this?" he asked, though Sasuke not being a stupid boy understood that he was probably seeing the past.

"This how the moon looked before. The Moon Kingdom, I was a princess, my mother was the queen."

"And?" he failed to see how her happy life tied with his. Suddenly time sped forward and now he saw only death and destruction. Bodies were littering the palace and as the scenery around changed once more, outside he saw the dead bodies of her friends, her lover and her own. Impaled with a sword.

"What happened?" he asked.

"A jealous queen made a deal with a great evil and destroyed us all. In my next life I faced that queen," spoke Serenity, suddenly sounding very tired and forlorn.

"And you can say that you didn't hate her?" asked Sasuke sardonically.

Serenity gazed at him firmly and once more the scenery changed. Now they were on Earth, he guessed. Somewhere cold.

"What is this?" he asked, seeing a huge woman, reeking of dark powers sending a giant stream of energy towards a small figure, they zoomed in closer and he saw once more that princess from the halls of the moon palace.

"This is my first great battle. At the north pole. All my friends were dead. My beloved was dead, I killed him with my own sword. And there I was. Fourteen, only a couple months of battles behind me, I didn't even remember my past completely. Only the pain and grief was sharp in my heart."

"And you killed her." Serenity nodded, and Sasuke snorted. What right had she to judge his quest for revenge?

"Yes, but look here," they were now standing next to her past self, as the girl helf the pink crescent wand desperately in front.

"What am I supposed to see?" he asked looking over the past-Serenity.

"Damn it, Sasuke! Look at my face. Do you see anger? Do you see hate? Do you see thirst for revenge? Do you even see will to fight?" fumed Serenity. Only then did the Uchiha take note of that. There was no malice. No anger. No hate. No thirst of revenge. She really looked as if she would be rather anywhere but here, than fight her enemy. And she definitely didn't know what she was doing.

"No. How did you win? You … didn't even know what to do…" muttered Sasuke slightly taken aback. She won that day. That much was sure.

"I just hoped. And wished for everything to be alright. I wished to see the next day Ami-chan, Rei-chan, Makoto-chan, Minako-chan. To have Mamo-chan tease me endlessly. For Luna to nag me. To see mom smile again. To taunt my little brother. Even if I remembered the death and grief and pain from my life on the moon as if it happened just yesterday, even if she killed all my friends, I couldn't hate her. Because that would have made me just like her."

"She destroyed kingdoms, she wiped out a whole nation," stated the black-haired boy.

"And a small girl with no battle experience erased her existence, just because she loved the world too much," whispered Serenity.

"Love?" the word was foreign.

"I must confess I went to battle each time with no plan, no knowledge how to do it, but it was my heart which guided me, my love for the world which made me conduct miracles each time. My own soul crystal, the starseed, resurrected my world at least three times, that is millions of people, what has your hate brought you?" The scenery changed back to the cold empty room of the moon palace, where he spent half of his probationary time. But still, she had no right to judge him. For she was immortal, even if she wasn't a goddess, she was damn close to there.

"I am not like you. I am not a god," he spoke dejectedly.

"Neither am I. Yet, you have been blessed not only by Rei-chan, thus your affinity to fire, not only by Pluto, thus the Mangekyou latent ability for time-space warping and Tsukuyomi, not only by Saturn, the Susanoo, not only by Makoto-chan, thus the affinity to lightning, but your whole family had been blessed by me. Why do you think that you can achieve less than I had achieved when I was still mortal. When I couldn't take that much hits as you can? When I didn't even have half the courage you have. Why do you think so?" she begged.

Silver drops glistened in her eyes.

"You're crying? Why?" he really didn't mean for it to sound so heartless. Perhaps she was a witch. Perhaps she was god. But everyone around her acted different. Even he was no stranger to that, and to compensate he acted even more like a bastard. Her reply was instant as she righteously ranted.

"Because Sasuke, despite whatever you beat into that dumb head of yours, you are still human. Feelings don't make you weak, only stronger, because they give your something to motivate yourself. But hate is not the strongest feeling. Because with hate you can live to kill someone, destroy something. But with love you can live for someone, you can create something, you can change the world, you can reach heights unreachable through hate, because you are ready to give all of you to fight for those you love. With love you can even die for someone," with hope she gazed at him, as if trying to make him see. But couldn't Serenity just see, that he Sasuke Uchiha failed to recognize the word love.

"I fail to comprehend your logic," Sasuke turned to leave the cold alabaster room of visions in the Moon Palace, freezing as the pleading hopeful eyes of Serenity turned into sadness. He saw that sadness in Naruto's eyes, Sakura's eyes. But it was always mixed with resentment for him leaving them. But here… there was no resentment, no accusations, just pure sadness and sorrow. She looked as if she had failed to save a newborn, as if she had accidentally killed her puppy, as if her family died in front of because of her inadequacy, and for a second she looked so much like the face he saw in the mirror the first few months after the massacre, before he created the mask.

A tear started making its way down her cheek, and indulging in the momentary desire Sasuke wiped it away with his finger, taken aback Serenity jolted to look him in the eyes, but his eyes were again the calm, collected emotionless black orbs.

"Speak more. But don't cry."

"Sasuke," murmured Serenity. At least during their therapy sessions on the moon she never called him Sasuke-chan. In fact he preferred the lack of endearment behind his name. He never felt he deserved it. He wasn't part of that family which she once had. Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Pluto, Endymion. In his brief encounters with several of them in the spiritual realm where she often dropped him off to train, he saw those people.

Yes, they were warriors, who often stained their hands with the dirty work for their princess, their queen. They hoped she would never have to take a life. But she took those lives. With mercy and sadness, regret at the loss of life, she took it.

"Sasuke, you too have never killed."

"Danzo."

"It was necessary. But you are not detached, cruel or anything you think you are. You have never killed anyone without a necessity. You didn't even kill Itachi."

Sasuke didn't bother to ask her once more how she knew all. But he felt no mercy for Danzo.

"It is never late to learn to love."

Love, such a foreign word to him. But… he really couldn't bare her looking just like him back then. She was annoying. She never really taught him any useful destructive jutsus. She always talked about friendship, love, forgiveness, hope, mercy and happiness. The meaning of that he had long since forgotten.

But even as she skipped in front of him, a deity, a woman, a girl, a goddess, it was hard to say what she was. Someone who had lived so long, someone who had been alone far longer than he had, someone who watched their civilization rise and fall, someone who watched their friends since an eternity die for the greater good, for her to be powerful enough to protect the stars, she was someone like that, and yet she could still smile (but the sadness always stayed), she still laughed (but beneath those eyes was still some resentment towards herself, because she couldn't save them), she still enjoyed life (despite the traces of her friends being everywhere, water, air, earth, life, death, constantly being reminded of her failure).

In fact despite calling her annoying… they were very similar. Only he chose one way to exist with it, she chose to live.

And one little secret, Sasuke was actually a bit scared of her, because he had been there and felt how she easily took out Kabuto and Madara. And if Madara was nothing compared to Chaos… then was it really her love which kept her going?

Serenity tripped. And later on Sasuke would call it just a whim. But for a moment he allowed himself to smile. Quickly wiping that off before Serenity noticed it.

She would never let him hear the end of it after that.

* * *

"_Serenity-chan, why is it, that you like to visit us that much?" asked Sakura, laying on the grass, staring at the clouds, the silver-haired girl plastered next to her, a giddy smile upon the female's face. A nervous giggle came from the Sage of Six Paths._

"_Ah, Sakura-chan, well you see, I actually spied on you a lot…"_

"_What?" shouted Sakura, sitting up, paling a bit. Her friend, yes, she could call her that now, after this year, was a stalker?_

"_Hey, it is rather boring just watching the Earth!" spoke Serenity vehemently, "I usually pick people who are funny and watch them with popcorn in hand. In fact that is why I found out about Madara!"_

_Sakura sweatdropped. Popcorn and watching drama and comedy? Her friend was slightly insane… yep… insane

* * *

_

"_Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!" chanted Serenity and Naruto in sync as they waited for their food in Ichiraku Ramen. Sasuke glared._

"_Would you knock it off! I expected this from Usurantonkachi! But you! I never thought you would be the same!" he bit out. The name caused a violent reaction from Naruto, but Sasuke was used to that, it was Serenity's ominous gaze which froze him._

"_Sasuke-chan!" her voice was cheerful contrasting with her ominous gaze. She flicked her wrists and a portal opened up behind Sasuke. One gaze and he knew what Serenity was planning to do. And he did a very not-Uchiha thing. He pleaded for mercy. Anything for better than that!_

"_No! Not that again! I don't want to go there again!"_

"_Now! Or I'll send you to the realm where Rei-chan's soul rests. I'll bet she'll be happy to meet the one, who's supposed to guard the fire and failed!" grind out Serenity and still Sasuke refused, eventually Serenity just pushed him into the portal._

_Flash. A despaired scream._

"_Whoah! Was that a portal?" exclaimed Naruto._

"_Yes."_

"_Where did you send him?" he asked curiously._

"_Minako-chan really likes him. She says he's cute. Plus, I think she's rubbing off on him." And Naruto had no idea who was Minako exactly, except that she was one of deceased friends of Serenity, and Yamato and Sasuke never talked about their training with the ex-Sailor Senshi in the spirit realm. They were too… shaken up from that.

* * *

_

"_Your work is booooring…" whined Serenity as she rocked back and forth in the chair, in front of Gaara's desk._

"…" _Gaara looked up, his emerald eyes emotionless. And then turned back to the documents._

"_Gaara… let's do something fun!" whined Serenity once more._

_One more he looked up, slightly annoyed, after a moment he spoke:_

"… _Well, alright… but first you answer one question, why did you forbid Naruto to use Oiroke no Jutsu?"_

_At least he could find out about that. Serenity seemed rather fond of Naruto, so why did Oiroke no Jutsu deserve a lightning strike, fireball and all kinds of pain inflicted upon the creator of the jutsu. Sure it was perverted, but still._

_Mumble._

"_What was that?" There was something he heard… which sounded… rather… exciting or disturbing, he couldn't chooce._

"_I said he looked like me when I was blonde, only naked!"_

_And Gaara the Kazekage was incapacitated. Courtesy of a giant… nosebleed!

* * *

_

"_Stop following me!" bit out Sasuke._

"_That's your punishment, Sasuke-chan!" sung out Serenity, as she followed Sasuke. He still had another year of probation, and Tsunade agreed that either Team 7 hounded him, or if Serenity was free she could also do that. Especially since she found great delight in annoying the Uchiha. Perhaps that is why Tsunade allowed Team 7 rest, if Serenity wanted to annoy Sasuke._

"_And stop calling me that!" bit out Sasuke, whose cheeks were lightly tinged in pink. He never got used to her endearments. _

"_Whyyyy? Are you flustered? Sasuke-chan, Sasuke-chan, Sasuke-chan!" giddily sung out Serenity. Annoyed Sasuke did one thing, which he knew would shut her up, after all nothing else worked._

…

_His black eyes studied her wide silver ones from this close proximity and at her lack of reaction he moved away and walked off. Serenity was still frozen in the middle of the street._

"_Well that got her to shut up… I kissed an old woman!" murmured Sasuke much to himself, though this time, he __**was **__flustered. An indignant screech was heard behind him._

"_I heard that! Sasuke-chan! Prepare to die! Take your clan restoration thoughts away from my pristine pure body!" a silver sword wielded in her hand Serenity chased after him and Sasuke was a smart shinobi. He knew when to run. And even as he ran for his life, he allowed a flicker of a smile to cross his face.

* * *

_

"_Why are we here again?" asked Homura Mitokado, the male elder of Konoha. Ex-advisor of the Hokage. Himura sighed in annoyance. Perhaps the hit that silver witch delivered to his head was too much._

"_Apparently Kaguya-hime came down from the moon and ordered us to be taken away. She also told everyone of Naruto's past, the way we decided to destroy a whole clan of her people, and many other things," she replied._

"_That's stupid," replied Homura. His gaze was rather idiotic the last year. It was as if the solitude, the exile and the hit over the head did their job. Himura growled and pointed to the sphere of green and blue which was visible in the small barred window in their cell._

"_They how do you explain we are on the moon!"

* * *

_

"_Minato-sensei. The future laid out not as we expected it, and the conclusion of everything was very ridiculous. But I cannot say It went badly. No I think it all went well. Your son is now happy, and no longer do people despise him. Perhaps Serenity-sama helped to that, but still. Sasuke… became after this year again the annoying brat he was at the beginning. But I think that Kushina and Mikoto would be happy. Their sons are becoming now true friends. This is the era of the great peace and although Serenity-sama never accepted leadership which they wanted to give her, since half of the time she spends at the moon, she always visits. In a way… even she became much more like that person which we saw only as she was leaving the end of that war. Sakura is becoming a good shinobi, and I think she likes Naruto more than just a friend. Minato-sensei, I am sure you would have loved to see this new world. Itachi, I think that the power you gave Naruto to defeat Sasuke, lay not in his jutsu, but in his heart."_

"_Kakashi no baka!"_

_Kakashi Hatake jolted as he turned around and smiled in his usual mirthful way at Serenity. He even forgave her calling him that._

"_Serenity-sama!"_

"_Don't call me that, you pervert! Let's go eat ice cream!" exclaimed Serenity, as she ran over to him and grabbed him by the hand dragging him off where the old Team 7 plus Sai stood, as she was passing Sasuke, she also grabbed his hand, despite his very loud protests and dragged both of them merrily giggling._

_And out of the corner of his eyes Kakashi dimly noted a smile shared between Sakura, Naruto and Sai. And frail hints of a smile on the lips of the Uchiha. Not even a smirk._

'_Minato-sensei, despite whatever her choices have given us in the past, I think it is all for the better. Because if she can always hope for the best in us, despite seeing the humans at their lowest and their highest, she still hopes and encourages us. Perhaps she is the most human out of us!'

* * *

_

_**Owari

* * *

**_

_**Feedback please? :D  
**_


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